Gears of War: Light of Day
by Lukas-the-Trickster
Summary: The Landown assault begins, the strike at the heart of the Locust forces that could end the war for good. Gears marksman Erika remains sceptical and when her grindlift gets knocked off course she finds herself trapped and lost deep in Locust territory, with only a rookie at her side and her own demons rising within Erika must fight hard if she's to see the light of day again.
1. Chapter 1

"Welcome to Dita boys... and lady." He was a conscript, rugged faced with a mangy straw hat and scraggy looking, black beard. He spat on the dirt beneath his booted feet, bare arms folded over his slimmed down version of a COG armoured cuirass. Upon seeing the only woman in the squad he tilted his hat forward, a brief nod only. "My friends call me Racket." He grinned with yellowed teeth, his lips worked like he was chewing something but his mouth was empty.

Racket stuck his big farmers hand out but still found it engulfed by Sergeant Blander's. A hint of discomfort passed over the conscripts face as he experienced the bear like grip of Blander's handshake.

"I'm Blander, this is Able squad." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.

Seven Gears glared back at Racket, one woman, six men, only three of which wore helmets, hiding expressions behind glowing blue visors. Racket was somewhat taken aback, women were rare on the front line these days. She was a narrow thing, a southern islander he guessed, going by her tan skin and the black tribal tattoo's around her left eye that trailed away down her neck. Where her arms were bare he could see the tattoos continued down her body, probably right to her toes. She was gaunt faced but still strikingly good looking; but there was a look in her eye that told him she'd obviously seen a lot of shit Racket couldn't begin to imagine. He still decided they were the loveliest eyes he'd seen in a long while even if they were haunted and sullen. A shame really, she was such a pretty little thing, high cheek bones and subtle sweeping jaw like the models that used to be on TV. If his son were still alive Racket reckoned she'd have made a decent wife and daughter in law. He paused in his thinking, she was a Gear... that meant she couldn't have kids, otherwise she wouldn't be here.

Realising he'd become distracted, Racket looked at his watch. "We leave in five, better get on board!" he exclaimed.

At the back of Able squad Erika Sharpe sighed, light brown eyes searching the landscape behind the assault Derrick. She'd missed the approving stare from Racket, so focussed as she was on the scenery. Snow capped mountains dominated the skyline as far as she could see, knifing into the cold grey sky like the teeth of some gigantic predator. Nestled somewhere amongst the trees and ice was Landown, a town long since occupied by the Locust. Erika had never been there, she'd never been out of Jacinto before she signed up. It didn't matter really because Landown would look like everywhere else, run down, burnt and crumbling. Chairman Prescott said this assault would be the tipping point in the war, the final battle that would decide the fate of humanity. Erika doubted it but kept her opinions to herself. As usual. Sergeant Blander mounted the ladder behind Racket, his bald head already glistening with sweat. Erika ran a hand through her black hair, making sure her messy fauxhawk was still standing. It was an old habit, a dumb one really. Who the hell cared if her hair looked good or not? In an hour or less she'd be caked in sweat and dirt and worse yet anyway.

"Ready?" Archer slowed his pace as the rest of Able ascended the ladder. His blue eyes hinted at fear but his mouth was smiling within the blonde goatee that circled it and his tone was confident. "This could be it." He patted his lancer.

Erika pulled a self rolled cigarette from a tin she kept in her combat webbing. Her tobacco supply was running thin. Another trip to the stranded was in order. She didn't have a clue where Jerome got the stuff from, she didn't care either. All that mattered was how it tasted and it tasted good.

"I'll believe it when I see it mate." She replied drawing a match across textured grip of her Longshot rifle. It sparked to life and she lit her cigarette.

"You should quit that. It ain't good for your lungs." Archer pointed out, as he always did. Amusement passed over his hard features.

Erika didn't give him the satisfaction of a reply.

Archer looked like he'd been carved from a cliff face. All sharp angels and a heavy square jaw. He wasn't an ugly man, but he wasn't particularly handsome either. When they were younger Erika described him as looking seasoned. Archer had taken it as a compliment. As he steadily got bigger she began saying he looked like a bear carrying carpets. He hadn't been overly fond of that remark but it had stuck anyway.

Erika inhaled deeply, blowing blue smoke out of her nostrils before replying. "We're banjaxed one way or the other, this is my coping mechanism, let me die happy." She limbered her Longshot and hoisted herself up the ladder.

Archer shook his head and followed.

The Derrick had been refitted with launching rails and the assault pods the Gears would be using to enter the hollow. Above the cockpit was a mounted chain gun. As Erika popped her head through the floor hatch and stepped out onto the rigs deck she saw the monstrous Corperal McNair taking position behind the heavy weapon. If Archer was bear then McNair was built more like a Locust Boomer. His grey hair was pulled back into long ponytail and his beard was braided like an ancient Norseman. His arms were bare and beneath his scarred flesh, muscles and sinew rippled like steel cables.

Racket's voice filled her ear piece. "Now you best look after my Dita, she's as dear to me as my wife, maybe a little more since she don't complain as much." Racket chuckled at his own joke.

Erika could see him in the cockpit his hands danced over the controls and she felt the rigs huge engine roar into motion and beneath her feet the deck began to vibrate. Centaur tanks chugged into life with the rest of the rigs and the air was filled with the bark and grumble of engines. Erika leaned on the deck rail and dragged from her cigarette. The stink of exhaust hit her a second later but she barely noticed. Hundreds of Gears swarmed below, mounting vehicles, moving ammo boxes, or setting up mobile command posts and medical tents. It was a massive undertaking, an assault on a scale that hadn't been seen since the Pendulum Wars and Erika wasn't old enough to really remember that. She was impressed but she still wasn't convinced it would be enough. The lightmass bomb hadn't done much good, why would this be any different?

Several King Ravens swooped in overhead, the repeating thud of rotors was deafening, Erika raised her arm to shield her face from the down draft as one turned and looped back over Racket's rig.

"KR-zero-seven to Rig 322 do you read me?" a new voice filled the comm channel. Erika only half listened.

"I read you KR-zero-seven." Racket replied.

"We'll be your escort this afternoon 322." The Raven pilot explained as the chopper hovered above them.

"Dita thanks you for your protection, KR-zero-seven and so do I."

"Uh huh, Rodger that 322. KR-zero-seven out." the intercom clicked silent.

"Alright lady and gents, we are underway!" Racket whooped as the rig lurched forward.

Erika held onto the railing tightly. Ahead of them the mountains loomed. At the back of her skull she felt a familiar ache. She gritted her teeth, forcing the images attempting to invade her thoughts, back into the darkness. She leaned heavily on the railing as a wave of nausea passed over her; Erika swallowed a retch, tasting bile at the back of her throat. A dull throb brought black spots to the corners of her vision but she blinked them away and took another drag of her dwindling cigarette. Things began to clear and the ache subsided but the niggle lurked still, its tendrils caressing the edges of her subconscious. This day was not going to end well.

"Erika, you look like your gonna puke." Privet Pendax was looking at her from the other side of the rig when she turned. He sniffed and rubbed the bottom of his pointed nose.

"You don't look much better either Penny." She sneered, knowing full well how much he hated that nickname.

Pendax snorted, it was a fact of life that you would never get on with everyone you met. It didn't matter where you worked or socialised, there would always be one person that would rub you up the wrong way. Allan Pendax, Penny, was one of those people. Slicked back black hair and face that reminded Erika of a rat, and not the cute kind either. His eyes were underlined by dark bags, his skin shallow enough that veins showed underneath. He looked deathly ill despite his cocky demeanour. His lip curled, beady eyes narrowing, giving her that look he always did, the one that always seemed to end up focussed on her arse.

"I'm fine sweet heart." Pendax replied with a deeper inhale through his nose like he was hawking back mucus.

"Yeah well I'm good enough for you to leave me alone."

Pendax shrugged and looked the other way. Erika leaned back on the railing. She took in the last of her cigarette and threw the butt off the rig. It would be an hour or so before they'd be in sight of Landown and the Locust. Erika knew, just as everyone else did, that they would be facing some serious opposition from the Locust already dug in there. So many lives would be lost and Erika had decided long ago it wasn't going to be worth it. Enough Gears had died for that prick Prescott and his stupid ideas. It had been that fucker's idea to turn the Hammer on too. What had that achieved? Millions of innocent people flash fried and the Locust just kept on coming.

"Hey." Privet Draper, the rookie, came to stand beside Erika; his hands were clasped in front of him as he rested his elbows on the railing. Erika knew that was to stop them shaking.

"You okay kiddo?" she gave him a sideways glance.

Behind his helmet Draper was the blonde nerdy kid who only made it as a Gear because he was an excellent engineer. His theatre of war used to be behind the scenes, keeping the Ravens flying and systems running smoothly. But like so many others he'd been given a Lancer and drafted into the frontline. This wasn't his first fire fight but Erika knew he'd be shitting his pants. His green eyes wide and watery. He was younger than she was, about nineteen? The kid had never said. Erika had maybe four years on him tops but she felt like it was a hundred or more.

When he replied his voice was shaky, he did a pretty decent job of hiding it but Erika could read him like a book even without seeing his face, "I'm fine. I was checkin' on you. I know Penny's a dick but he's right, you do look kinda… ill."

"Thanks." Erika snorted.

Draper fancied Erika, if that wasn't too childish a way to put it, behind his mask she knew his cheeks would be flushed and if it wasn't for the visor between her gaze and his, he'd be looking everywhere but directly at her. Sometimes she caught him staring in the mess hall and he'd turn bright red and look the opposite way.

Erika forced a smile, "Don't worry 'bout it Kiddo. I'll be okay."

"Rook!" Blander called out from the back of the rig, "Ride up front with Racket, if this shit heap breaks down you'll be the best bet to get it moving again."

"Yes sir, Sarge!" Draper replied smartly. He paused before moving off to tilt his head at Erika. She responded with a lazy salute.

"Hey, my Dita ain't no shit heap Sergeant. But she is a dirty bitch." Racket chuckled again. "You want her to give you a golden shower?"

Blander shook his head, a smile parting his lips. Erika just kept staring on ahead.

The first forty minutes ride from base camp into the mountains was surprisingly uneventful. A clear blue sky brought a welcome relief from rain heavy clouds that had settled on Jacinto but a brisk breeze caressed Erika's shoulders and she shuddered. On a normal day the scenery would have been enough to distract her from the cold, but a deep sense of foreboding had brought her senses to the brink of overload. Everything seemed heightened, the clatter of engines and thunder of rotors above felt louder than they should. Her eyesight was already better than average but now she found herself picking out the detail of the Gears armour across the valley. Everywhere she looked she expected to see the beginnings of an ambush; she was waiting for the first yell of warning and the sputter of gunfire. Her nerves were shredded and although outwardly she was composed and calm, her insides were churning with barely restrained panic. Once the shit hit the fan it would all change, her body would shut down all emotion, instinct would take over and the will to survive would overcome all else. It had happened before, many times and it had saved her life each and every time. She acted without thinking, killing became second nature. It was the wait that was the worst part. Knowing the battle was coming but not when. It drove her mad. She imagined all kinds of hell coming to drag to her into deaths embrace.

The first sign of an attack was altogether worse than she feared.

It began with a distant shriek, trails of greenish ink rising up on the horizon. Erika could see the tentacled blobs arching high into the sky and her eyes widened.

"Nemecysts!" she cried then the radio went berserk.

"KR-two-two on all channels, we have incoming Nemecysts, move to defend the rigs."

"Rodger that KR-..."

"KR-four-six down, I repeat, KR-four-six is down!"

"Incoming KR-one-eight!"

"I see em!"

"This is KR-zero-zero, we are going down! I can't hold her!"

"One of the rigs is gone!"

Shrieks and explosions blossomed along the valley. Rackets rig was in the middle of the convoy, to the right a sheer cliff face stretched high above and on the left of the narrow road another cliff plunged down into the tree filled valley. Chain guns blazed into life and Nemecysts began to burst in mid air, reeking ink rained down on the convoy. Above them KR-zero-seven opened fire as well. Shell casings began to fall like hail stones', striking loudly off the rigs decking. Able squad covered their heads.

"Hang on!" Racket declared. "This could get rough real quick!"

"Just keep us on the damn road!" Pendax snapped his hand pressed to his ear piece.

"My Dita can handle it, can't you darlin'?" Erika heard Racket release confident snarl as he steered the huge rig forwards.

The rig in front of Dita veered into the cliff face throwing its Gears squad to the floor, a Nemecyst slammed into the road where it had been moments before, tossing up clumps of dirt and stones. Split second thinking on the drivers part and fast reactions had just saved the rig from being blown apart. Racket avoided the crater but the Nemecysts were coming thick and fast now, the sound was like nothing Erika had experienced before. McNair swung the chain gun round and with a whine it spun into life. A barrage of bullets filled the sky knocking out some of the Nemecysts that were getting to close. Privets Bassky and Larrons, Able's last two members added lancer fire to the defence. Archer and Pendax joined moments later. Blander was yelling into his earpiece but Erika couldn't hear a thing over the clattering gun fire and explosions. With only a Longshot and pistol there was little she could do against the Nemecysts. She felt utterly fucking useless. It wasn't a pleasant realisation.

Dirt and stone chips bounced against her shoulders as a Nemecysts crashed into the cliff above. She turned as a mini landslide crashed into the side of the rig. Blinded by dirt and dust Erika was thrown backwards against the cabin wall. "Racket..!" she managed before the wind was knocked from her lungs. Everyone lost their footing except McNair, who carried on firing and venting the chain gun with expert ease. Through the cabin window Erika saw Racket struggling with the controls. The rig lurched to the left, its wheels perilously close to the edge of the road.

"Come on Dita baby!" Racket had left his comm channel open. Draper rushed to assist him and the rig swung back on the straight and narrow, tires squealing against the effort.

"We almost thought we lost you there 322!" that was the voice of KR-zero-seven's pilot speaking now. "That was some driving!"

Erika picked herself up, spitting grit. She looked ahead; a gap had formed between the rig in front and Racket's. Spread across the road was the burning remains of a centaur. Racket's rig rolled right over the debris, its huge wheels were pretty much bullet proof so a few pieces of metal wouldn't bother them. Erika barely felt a bump as Dita crushed the wreck flat and carried on. Another Nemecyst arched over head. Erika watched in horror as it slammed into KR-zero-eight, the Raven defending the rig up front. The chopper began to spin, smoke pouring from her engines. With a screech of rending metal she slammed into the cliff, her rotor blades tearing free. Erika saw what was coming and time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Her life saving instincts kicked in just as she expected them to and adrenaline flooded her system. She threw herself away from the railing as the rotor spiralled towards Racket's rig. She twisted in mid air to land hard on her stomach as the rotor roared over head, the edges scarring the cabin wall and unleashing a torrent of sparks. Erika felt the displaced air press on her shoulders for a second as it whipped across her prone form. She saw it miss cutting Bassky in half by less than an inch as he lunged backwards out of its path. But Larrons wasn't as lucky.

The rotors split his body apart from shoulder to groin with a horrid squelch, it bounced off the rigs deck and spiralled away into the valley below. Larrons was killed instantly, blood and organs spilled out, steaming, onto the metal floor and the hot coppery tang of blood and reek of open bowels hit Erika's nostrils a few seconds later.

"Hang on!" Racket declared, oblivious for the moment to Larrons fate, "Dita's gonna have to shove that Raven outta the way! It's a bit bigger than that Centaur. Come on baby!"

The whole rig bucked and bounced, the screech of metal on metal filling the air as she shunted the Raven wreck. One half of Larrons rolled off the side and was gone forever. His innards slid towards Erika as the rig lurched forwards on its suspension. With a grimace she rolled out of the way and scrabbled to her feet. Trails of crimson wove a gross pattern on the gun metal deck beneath her boots. She looked away. A cloud of greasy black smoke washed over them as the Derrick pushed the burning Raven aside. Erika's eyes watered.

"We're past!" Racket sounded relived.

"Aw fuck!" Archer exclaimed seeing Larrons remains for the first time.

Erika realised the gun fire had ceased. She looked up and the sky line was lined by inky trails but there were no live Nemecysts that she could see.

"KR-zero-seven to Rig 322, you guys okay down there?"

"KR-zero-seven, Sergeant Blander here, we're a man down, no other casualties. Thanks for the cover."

"Not a problem, looks like we're in the clear for now. KR-zero-seven out." there was a pause, "Sorry for your loss sergeant."

"I'm gonna have to tell his family." Blander muttered more to himself than anyone else.

There was a moment of silence. Only Pendax seemed uninterested, his back turned to the rest of the squad. Erika's hand rested on her handgun's grip. She shot Pendax a hard look but suddenly Archer was by her side. He pushed her fingers away from the weapon. Erika turned and wiped the dirt from her face with the back of her hand. Things were far from over, if anything she knew it would only get worse. She resisted the urge to vomit and instead focused on picking grit from her Longshot scope.


	2. Chapter 2

They had bagged what was left of Larrons and tucked him in one of the Derrick's storage compartments. It seemed a little insulting to his name but leaving him there would have been worse. Erika had seen too many Gears left behind after a battle. Her hand gripped one of her belt pouches on impulse. Inside she could feel the edges of Cog Tags pressing against her palm through the fabric. Their bodies may have been lost but their names would never be forgotten. The mood had been somewhat solemn ever since Larrons had been tucked away. No one had spoken. Even Penny kept his mouth shut for a change but Erika had been keeping an eye on him all the same. He kept to himself, standing under the Grind Lifts main rigging, out of everyone's way. He kept looking over his shoulder as if someone was going to catch him at something. Erika had a fair idea of what it was. The mother fucker was using again. Everyone had their coping mechanisms. Erika smoked, some guys drank, others gambled, some went looking for no strings sex. She knew guys who wrote letters home to families that weren't there anymore and some who went down to the orphanages to help take care of the kids. Not everyone could hack it though, every once and a while someone blew their brains out but that was getting rarer. Yeah, everybody had their coping mechanisms and Penny's was hardcore stuff he bought off the Stranded. Trouble was, Penny was dumb enough to do it on duty. She could feel her blood boiling but she bit her lip as usual. She wasn't one to rat anyone out. She had her secrets too. This time she tasted blood.

Penny had been in Able before her. She'd never liked him the moment she set eyes on him. Despite his outward confident demeanour his eyes gave away his addiction, there was anger in there too. He wore displeasure like a cloak, had an acid as fuck tongue and no respect for anybody but himself. He was a cocky prick and a parasite at the best of times even when he wasn't using, when he was on the stuff he was unbearable. He'd taken an interest in Erika, well her body to be more precise, she was just a thing to him. Allan Pendax was a prick of the very worst kind.

"What you lookin' at? Liking what you see huh sweet heart?" Pendax declared with a smug grin.

Erika realised she'd been staring, not at him directly but staring none the less. She raised two fingers and turned away. There were people you mourned and people you would be glad to be rid off. Unfortunately the ones you liked were always the ones who died. Larrons would not be the last of Able to die today, Erika could feel it in her blood. She knew all too well from experience that death was always there waiting, just sitting in the corner of your eye, un-noticed till the last second. She herself had replaced a poor kid named Carmine, who used to be Able squad's marksman, after her old unit had been wiped out in Noroa. The only members of Able who had been around since the squad was formed during the Pendulum Wars were Blander and McNair. Others had come and gone, no one lived forever. Erika had memories, people's faces, names and voices, floating around in her brain. She usually shut it out but there were times the pain would creep back in and that damn ache would spark up in the back of her skull like it was the devil himself laughing at her. Erika blinked and shook her head. The rig bumped gently over the un-even ground shaking her back to the present. She looked up and sighed.

There were a few people though that Erika imagined might live forever if they tried hard enough. Across from her a Derrick named Betty rumbled along on Dita's right. Erika could see the infamous Marcus Fenix leaning on the railings behind Betty's cockpit. Now there was a man who'd been to hell and back and survived. Aspho fields was the biggy, the one he was most famous for. A real live hero, though she'd heard he'd never admit that himself. A hero and traitor. He'd been sent down by Hoffman himself and then re-assigned to Delta Squad to deliver the Lightmass bomb that had never worked. She wondered how that must have felt. All the effort and loss of life for something that did fuck all in the long term. Fenix was an enigma to everyone but his best pal Dom. Erika looked back over her shoulder again at Pendax, who was rubbing the bottom of his nose, his gloves came away slick with blood. Erika turned away, disgust creasing her brow. When she glanced up again Fenix caught her eye. Erika executed her usual gesture of acknowledgment, index and middle fingers straight and tapped briefly to her temple then a flick in the direction of the recipient. Her "lazy arsed salute" as Kolea used to put it. Marcus just tilted his head forward in a brief nod then another Gear tapped his shoulder and he attention was refocused.

Brandon Kolea. His smiling face flickered in her memories for a few moments and Erika felt the knots of pain in her guts return. Brandon Kolea "The Ginger Nutter." Same age as Erika, signed up on the same day she did and they'd fought together ever since. Until... Erika inhaled hard through her nose and forced back the tears forming in her eyes. The ache came back. That had been a bad day. Erika often wondered how, or why she had been spared when everyone else had been killed. They'd all suffered but poor Kolea had the worst of it. She could still hear his screams. Erika raised a hand to her mouth, she could feel a retch coming, this wasn't going to be pleasant. Her skull throbbed.

"Control to all squads, we're detecting major seismic activity just ahead of you!" Anya Stroud's voice declared in Erika's earpiece and instantly the sensation was gone. She swallowed. Stroud, there was a voice that got your attention. War hero for a mother and a war hero for a boyfriend, if you believed the rumours about her and Fenix. Erika didn't know or care. She liked Anya, she had a kind heart.

"Copy, control." Blander replied.

"Whoa." Racket muttered as the Derrick pushed through a clutch of trees and the ground ahead was made visible.

Erika, Archer and Bassky ran to the front of the Derrick, weapons ready. The ground was cracked and blackened; smoke was rising from some of the fissures. It looked a major earthquake had hit during a forest fire and that both events had somehow been confined to this one area of land.

"Well that can't be good." Bassky observed.

"Oh really? I thought we were having a fuckin' picnic." Pendax replied with a sneer.

"Cram it up your ass..." Bassky began.

"Lock it down." Blander snapped.

Pendax snorted and looked over the side again.

"Prick." Bassky muttered.

Erika nodded.

There was a grumble and the entire world suddenly seemed to shake, more rocks tumbled into the nothingness between the fissures. Cracks split the ground and the sound of shattering stone filled the air. Then the Locust came. Hordes emerged from the E-holes now erupting all around the Derricks. All at once the brief calm was obliterated by a storm of noise. Gunfire exploded down towards the Grubs and more came hurtling back. Erika saw a Corpser emerge from the ground on the opposite side of the waste land. Its massive finger like legs crashed down onto one of the Derricks and dragged it back down into the E-Hole.

"Ah shit." Bassky sighed.

Erika braced her Longshot against her bicep and sighted the horde. Some were carrying grappling lines and hooks.

"They're gonna try and board!" She exclaimed.

"Erika, take as many of em out as you can before they get to close. Archer, Penny cover the right, knock off any hooks, Bassky the left with me." Blander ordered revving his chainsaw bayonet with a savage grin.

McNair opened up with the chain gun shredding the front line of Locust pouring from the E-Holes, puffs of gore leapt into the air as the heavy-duty rounds split flesh like wet paper and crunched apart bones, about fifty went down in seconds but McNair couldn't cover everywhere at once. Erika flicked another cigarette from her pouch and popped it between her lips. She struck a match against her Long Shot like he had done so many times before and took a long drag. This was it. This was battle, now she could do something; make a dent in the Grubs instead of standing idle while all hell rained down like she'd done when the Nemecysts had attacked. Now she didn't feel anything, no pain, sorrow or anger. It was just kill, re-load and kill again. She knelt and propped the Longshot on the railing. Her ammo pouch was opened wide on her hip. She sighted and compensated for the Derricks shaking.

Erika exhaled through her nose, enjoying the taste and smell of the cigarette, it steadied her. She sighted on a grenadier carrying a grappling hook. _Crack!_ The Longshot recoil kicked hard into her shoulder but she was used to that and it didn't hurt anymore. The Grub was snapped off his feet, a halo of pulped brain matter splattering the Locust behind him. Her hands a blur of motion, Erika re-loaded the rifle and drew the bolt back with a satisfying _click-clack_. She spied a second and squeezed the trigger. This time she caught the ugly bastard right in the eye and punched a hole in his head the size of a tennis ball but the round kept going though and kneecapped a following comrade. It fell and was trampled to death by the advancing horde. Two for one, Erika grinned.

"Come on you cunts." She muttered, "I got plenty of bullets."

A fourth Locust died clutching its spilt innards, Erika's round blew his stomach open like a water balloon.

"That's for Larrons."

She fired again, another head disintegrated in a puff of blood mist and bone chips.

"For Brandon."

Feeling the Derrick shuddering violently, Erika lowered her weapon, losing sight of her next target.

Racket was hauling on the controls, his expression pained.

"The grounds giving way under Dita's wheels. Hang on Gears this is gonna be bad!" he yelled.

Racket steered the Derrick left as the earth collapsed to the right and another E-Hole disgorged yet more Locust. Erika gripped the hand rail and braced her legs in a vain attempt not to fall. At first she didn't but another E-hole opened just in front of Dita's right wheel. The Derrick lurched forwards as the tyre entered the hole squashing the emerging Locust beneath its mighty treads, it wasn't big enough to swallow the wheel and Dita bounced out like a car hitting a pot hole only massively scaled up. Erika slipped on what thought must have been Larrons blood and hit the deck hard enough to wind her, she lay there gasping for a few moments. Above her the blue sky was lined with tracer fire streaking passed like fireworks, it was almost beautiful.

"God damn!" Racket whooped, "Close one huh guys!"

"Good driving Racket." Blander replied with a respectful nod into the cockpit window. Racket tilted his hat.

Bassky helped Erika to her feet. A grappling hook appeared on the rail in front of Archer but before the Locust could board his chainsaw took its head clean off. Archer took a bucket load of blood in the face for his troubles.

"Aw fuck, it's in my mouth!" he exclaimed spitting furiously. "Tastes like shit."

"You like shit though right?" Penny smirked.

"Brumaks!" McNair roared. It was the first time he'd spoken all day.

"Multiple Brumak's south side of Landown, we're not outta the woods yet!" More reports came flooding in over the comm net. They were getting pounded. Most of the radio chatter turned into yells for help and screams of pain.

"All rigs move to Landown, I repeat all rigs break off and move to Landown!" that was Anya's voice again. It was the only thing Erika could make out clearly over the din of gunfire and screeching Corpsers. Stroud was good at getting her point across on the comm net whatever situation they had to deal with.

"Aw shit! Straight ahead guys!" Racket shouted. "We gotta Brumak blocking our way out!"

Erika turned on the spot. Sure enough one of the hulking creatures was waiting for them. Fifteen feet of slab like muscle and grey scaled skin trudged towards the Derrick. On its wrists, mounted chain guns whirred into motion. It roared in defiance, drowning out the sound of battle for the duration of its short but terrifying outburst. Erika had seen them before but there had always been a Centaur on hand to deal with them. Suddenly her Longshot, which was powerful enough to stop a truck, felt like a pea shooter.

"Racket! Ram the fucker!" Blander demanded. "McNair, fill him full of lead!"

McNair opened up with the mounted gun. Screeching as bullets ripped through its fore arm and destroyed of its chain guns the Brumak threw up its other arm to hide its face. Another row of bullets stitched along its abdomen, blood rained down on the ground. The Brumak attempted to cover its vulnerable belly with its undamaged arm. For a moment it was distracted, that moment was all Racket needed.

"Yeeeeeehaaaaw!" He cried, slamming the rig into full speed. "Get down Gears, Dita's got a date with a Brumak!"

Able squad hit the deck; once again McNair just held onto the gun, his fingers barely left the trigger and a torrent of rounds continued to spew forth.

Dita hit the Brumak at full speed. Erika felt the impact rattled her bones; she whacked her chin against the metal deck and cursed. Stumbling and roaring madly the Brumak crashed a fist down on the rigs cockpit. Racket and Draper ducked but the reinforced cabin held and the action gave McNair a clear shot. His sustained fire tore into the Brumaks head gear and punched through into its brain. McNair kept on the pressure, completely shredding its skull. Warm chunks and liquid rained down on the deck below and the beast collapsed dead. Racket rolled right on by, shoving the massive twitching corpse aside.

"Told you my Dita was tough." Racket sounded like he was grinning.

"Damn, you gotta teach me how to drive like that." That was Draper, he sounded more relieved than anything else.

"Let's not do that again." Archer mumbled clambering to his feet.

Bassky nodded, "Fuck me McNair, is there anything you can't stand up to?" he asked. "Makin' the rest of us look bad."

McNair shrugged, almost apologetically, "My mother."

"If she's anything like you, I can believe that." Bassky wiped Brumak brains from his visor.

It was said in good humour. As the sounds of warfare drifted away behind them and the ascended to Landown, that sense of post battle euphoria started to kick in. For everyone but Erika.

She spat blood; she had bitten deep into her bottom lip and widening the wound she'd made herself earlier. Her cigarette was amazingly still smoking between her fingers how she'd held on to that was a mystery. She took a drag and closed her eyes. When she opened them Archer's hand was stuck in front of her face. She took it let him pull her upright. His face was grimy with Locust blood.

"You hurt?" he asked, worry obvious in his eyes.

"Aye. I'm alright." Erika replied licking her wound lip.

"Landown ain't far off. I don't think we're done yet." Racket stated absently. "I heard the place is full of grubs."

Bassky replied first, wiping yet more bits off his lancer casing. "Yeah it is. Ten shitloads of them is what I heard."


	3. Chapter 3

"Smells like shit up here." Archer moaned.

Erika had to agree with him. Landown was a ruin, the streets were littered with rubble and wrecked cars. Not a single building had gone untouched during the initial attack. Many were simply burnt out husks, others were relatively intact but all were riddled with bullet holes. Anything of use had been looted by the Locust. That was what they did, stole COG stuff and used it on the Gears themselves. Bastards. Erika couldn't see any movement but Landown had been held by the Locust for years so it never hurt to be too careful. She sighted down her scope to the other end of the street but there was nothing, just windblown leaves and a faint hint at coming snow fall. She sighed. It was far too quiet. This was an ideal ambush location. Her senses were on overload again.

Everything was dusted white by the recent blizzards. Erika knew that in its prime Landown was probably one of those ideal towns she read about as a kid. A place where everyone knew everyone, where the air was crisp and clear and the hustle and bustle of city life to distant to matter. She probably would have loved to live here. The scenery was stunning and the buildings had a baroque quality you just didn't see in modern places. She could picture her mother and father sitting out in the garden in the summer. She could smell roast pork in the kitchen and could hear the bubble of boiling vegetables.

 _Suddenly she was ten again but she wasn't in Landown, she was in Noroa and she was in the street. It was like E-Day all over again. People were screaming and running. Grubs mowed down civilians by the hundreds. So many bodies littering the roads. Erika heard shattering glass, the crack of bullets hitting concrete, the crump as they tore through metal. But loudest of all was the sound they made on flesh. There was nothing in the world worse than the noise of splitting skin and crunching bone. Erika was crying and running. She gripped her father's hand so tightly her fingers hurt. Back then her hair had been much longer and it was matted with dirt and other people's blood. Her ears rang from explosions nearby and she had a cut on her cheek from shrapnel. Her mother was there too, she was limping, the tattoos on her face and neck so similar to the ones Erika wore now that would be almost impossible to tell them apart. They ran as fast as they could but it was all in vain. Bullets tore into the crowd ahead and down her father went. He didn't even make a sound. A single bullet cutting through his neck. Erika was splashed with crimson, it ran with her tears, filling her mouth and blinding her. Her ankle caught the curb and she collapsed too, bullets ripped over her head. The fall had saved her. Erika wiped her face and screamed. Her mother was there a moment later a hand covering her daughter's eyes._

" _Don't look baby, don't look."_

"Control to all units." Anya Stroud's calm voice once again filled the comm net, bringing yet more bad news and snapping Erika back to the present with a jolt.

She swallowed wiped her eyes. Her knuckles came away damp.

"We have reports of Tickers hiding in the streets, watch yourselves out there." Anya explained.

Blander rolled his eyes. "Goddamnit."

Racket slowed Dita to a halt. "I ain't drivin' Dita down there till you guys have made sure it's clear. I hate them Ticker sons of bitches and Dita does too."

Blander nodded, "Don't worry bout it Racket. Able, split up. Archer, Erika, Penny take the right side of the street. Bassky, Draper with me. McNair, you stay on that gun keep an eye on the roof tops."

"Aye Sarge." McNair grunted.

Erika's boots hit the concrete kicking up a small cloud of loose snow as she stepped off the Derrick's ladder. Archer handed her his Gnasher.

"I know your pretty good with that sniper but it isn't much use inside." He explained.

Erika limbered her Longshot. "Cheers Archie."

Archer smiled briefly.

"Are we fuckin' doin this or what?" Pendax asked impatiently. He stood by a half open door leading into some ones house.

"Aye, keep your fucking hair on." Erika snapped pushing her way inside.

It was as if no one had ever lived there. Erika swept her shot gun from left to right, behind her Pendax and Archer followed. All the chairs and tables were gone. All the electrical equipment was missing too. Well the stuff that wasn't broken at least. Only a smashed TV lay in the corner. What did the Locust want with furniture? Erika wondered.

"Maybe the Stranded took it." Archer said as if reading her thoughts.

"Who gives a fuck?" Pendax sniffed and wandered passed Erika. She stared daggers into his back.

Where the wind blew through the empty window frames, dust lifted from the ground and swirled in the beams of sunlight beginning to break the cloud line above. Erika could smell rotten wood and damp fabric. No one had been in here for years. They made their way cautiously down the hall to the rear of the house where a set of collapsed stairs partially blocked the way through. On the other side of the debris pile the wall had been blown down leading out into a side street and then into a convenience store. Carefully the group picked their way over the rubble and entered the store.

There was nothing but empty shelves inside. Erika could see a lot of holes in the walls that lead into the store rooms at the back. There were plenty of places for Tickers to hide in here.

"Looks like the Locust took all the snacks." Pendax snorted picking an empty bag of potato chips off a shelf.

"Penny shut the fuck up." Erika hissed listening intently for the _click-clack, click-clack_ that would give away a Tickers presence.

She could certainly smell their shit. They were close.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I upset you sweet heart?" Pendax said loudly, feigning an apologetic look.

Erika gritted her teeth. "Do you want to get us blasted to hell?"

"What you afraid that sweet little ass is gonna get all mushed up?" Penny took a handful of Erika's backside.

Suddenly the Tickers were the last thing on her mind. Erika swung around bashing the butt of her Gnasher against Penny's temple. He staggered, stunned then fell against the wall, a cascade of dust and paint chips falling down around him. Erika slammed her forearm into his neck and pressed tight enough to make him wheeze.

"Touch me again you rat faced wanker and I swear I'll rip your bollocks off!" She showed him the flick knife she kept inside her chest plate to emphasise the point and stared unblinking into his eyes to show she really wasn't kidding.

To his credit Penny didn't flinch but she saw a twinkle in there, half amusement, half fear, he was too high to know which one to focus on. He'd gotten a reaction out of her which was exactly what he'd wanted and she hated herself for doing it but she wasn't about to let him get away with grabbing her. It wasn't however the reaction he'd been counting on. That had scared him and Erika was pleased to see a bead of sweat trickling from his hairline.

"I know what you're on." She snarled pushing harder.

Penny made a gurgling sound, eyes bulging slightly.

"Come on Erika chill." Archer said timidly. She shot him an angry glare and he backed off.

"I don't care if you get yourself killed Penny but you won't take Archie and me with you. So, you're gonna shut the fuck up or I'll put a bullet into that hollow skull and silence your forever." She hissed into Penny's ear, "Clear?"

Penny nodded as best he could against her arm.

Erika let him go and he clutched at his reddening throat but said nothing. The sheer distaste on his face was clear though. Erika had just humiliated him and she knew he wasn't gonna let it go. He'd try something she knew he would but she'd deal with that when the time came. Erika had dealt with people a lot worse than Penny. If it came to it she knew she could handle him too.

 _Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack._

Erika froze. If she had a top ten list of the creepiest Locust creatures, the Tickers would have ranked high. The horrible little bastards were used like proximity mines, bombs were strapped to their backs and they detonated if you got to close. Or if the Ticker got close enough to you. Their natural reaction to humans wasn't to scuttle away and hide, it was too attack. Erika didn't know if they were aware they'd explode when they reached their target or not. Somehow she doubted it. Though the more she thought about it the less she cared. Those things that dwelt in the Hollow were ugly as sin and bent on wiping out humanity. Whether it was their choice or not Erika would kill them just the same and take pleasure doing it.

 _Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack._

"You hearing that?" Archer whispered.

Erika peered over the counter. "Yeah. Unfortunately I am." She could see claw marks in the dirt. Fresh tracks. "They're in here somewhere."

 _Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack._

Out of the corner of her eye Erika saw something scuttle behind a shelf stack. She aimed her Gnasher and waited to see if it would scuttle out again.

"Far rear corner!" Archer declared. His Lancer rattled a moment later followed by an explosion. Bits of something warm peppered her neck and the back of her head.

Several more detonations sounded off causing more dust and ceiling tiles to fall. Erika kept her eye on where she'd seen, what she was now sure was a Ticker scuttle away. Sure enough it emerged again, no doubt attracted by the commotion. To Erika it looked like a giant cockroach, or at least that was closest thing she could think of. She glared into its beady black eyes and aimed her shotgun. It scurried forward on its spindly legs all the while its beak like mouth clicking away like crazy. Erika squeezed the Gnasher trigger. Shot tore through its flesh and the Ticker shrieked, a second later the explosives on its back went off. Shelves were knocked down by the blast and two of the remaining windows shattered. Erika shielded her eyes with her forearm, gore pattered against her armour. When she lowered it three more were hurrying forwards.

"Ah, fuck off you little shits!" she leased of two more shots, peppering the creatures.

At this distance the Gnasher wasn't accurate but the barrage of shot was enough to detonated the lead two Tickers. Body parts and shrapnel from the bomb vest scattered acorss the floor. More tiles came down from the roof. A third Ticker was tossed against the rear wall by the blast and detonated too, bringing the wall down with it. Erika was engulfed in dust. She stood a moment coughing and spluttering. Staggering out of the cloud of grit she bumped into the counter.

Yet more explosions thundered behind like a mad drum beat in her brain. Erika still winced every time, eyes involuntarily closing with every bone shaking bang. It was never something you fully got used too. She turned around to see how Archer and Pendax were managing. There was small hole in the wall that looked like it lead into a burrow below the shop. Dozens of scorch marks and piles of mangled Tickers littered the floor in front of it but more Tickers were emerging only to be caught in the Lancer cross fire. Archer and Pendax kept up the stream of bullets until finally no more of the chittering little fuckers came out. Archer re-loaded his Lancer. There was a crunch and part of the ceiling gave way, blocking the burrow.

"I count fifteen." Archer said with a smug grin.

"Fuckin little bastards give me the creeps." Penny replied wiping blood splatters from his face.

"Think we got em all?" Archer asked.

Erika replaced the spent shells in her Gnasher. "Doubt it. Stay icy."

It was only then Erika noticed the sound of explosions and gunfire across the street. She hurried over to the window, kicking bits of ticker aside as she went. Inside what looked like an electrical store she saw brief flashes of light emanating from the dirt stained windows.

"Able two to able one, Sarge do you require assistance?" she said pushing her finger to her ear piece.

The gunfire ceased and Blander replied, his breathing heavy, "That's a negative. We're done here."

Erika nodded, "Yeah I think we are too Sarge. Orders?"

"Regroup on the street, we'll walk Dita in, this assault can't wait while we search every damn building. "

"Copy that Sarge." Erika made for the door but Pendax pushed past her. Where she'd hit him was swelling and turning purple. She grabbed his arm. "Not a word to Sarge about that." She gestured to his eye. "Or I'll tell him about your little habit."

Penny inhaled sharply, "Fuck you." He muttered and shrugged her off.

As Able regrouped, Ravens were passing over head. More rigs were rumbling through the other streets. Behind the buildings ahead Erika could see the top of the monument that marked the dig zone. Ravens circled, strafing gunfire down at a foe she couldn't see. She turned her ear piece to an open channel and as they walked ahead of Dita she listened to the chatter between the ground teams and the air support. The assault on the Hollow had begun and it sound like the Grubs weren't going to just roll over. She steeled herself for the coming battle but there was still that niggling doubt in the back of her mind. This was supposed to be the final push to wipe out the Locust and end the war for good, so why it did feel like the beginning of something much worse?


	4. Chapter 4

"Another E-Hole!" Bassky yelled and ducked as more bullets smacked off Dita's railing.

Erika aimed her Longshot and put a round through the first Grub that came out of the E-Hole. It vanished back down the shaft, leaving a bloody smudge on the crater edge. She ducked and re-loaded. Racket had backed the Rig up to the drill site alongside the rest of the Derricks but the Locust had attacked en-masse, coming up from the grave yard near the monument. Yet more were pouring into the town square from all directions. Ravens chattered overhead, Centaur tanks grumbled along the ground leasing off shots at the bigger Locust units. Mortar shells fell on both sides with great ear splitting explosions and shredded Grubs and Cog alike. This was the unrelenting violence of war. Some were born for it, McNair for example, he stood defiant behind the fire spewing barrel of his chain gun. There was grim determination on his face, here was a man who would never back down.

Erika instead shut it all out, all the noise and terror. She focussed on her scope and the hot smoke of her cigarette in her mouth and nose. She sighted another Grub taking cover behind a gravestone. From a distance your standard Grubs looked relatively human, bipedal, around the same height and similarly proportioned. But up close, they were from it. Their skin was grey or white and scaled like a reptile. Their heads reminded Erika of a bare skull, no protruding nose or ears, no lips, just rows of sharp teeth like sharks. But it was their eyes that made her shudder, so black, so empty, so devoid of compassion or remorse. It was like looking into the depths of the void. They seemed soulless. It just made them easier to kill. To Erika they were the monsters in your closet or under your bed made real. A childhood nightmare she could finally punish for all those sleepless nights. She felt no pity for them, just hatred. The sight of a Grubs guts spilled, or its brains scattered did not churn her stomach, it made her smile. She squeezed the trigger. The Grub she was aiming at collapsed dead, her aim had been, as usual, perfect. A hole punched clean through its heart. She sucked her cigarette. Come on Racket, get those damn Grindlifts aligned, she cursed to herself. She killed another Locust, this time a clean headshot. It burst like a watermelon showering those around it with brain matter. The targeting arrays on all the Grindlifts needed to be perfectly aligned or they wouldn't be able to dig through to the Hollow. One miscalculation and you could get up in an underground lake or sent so far off course you hit solid rock and be trapped forever. Erika didn't know too much about how it worked really but it was causing a delay they couldn't afford.

"Boomers!" Archer yelled.

Bassky raised his middle finger at the Horde below, bullets whizzed over his shoulders, he didn't flinch. "Give us a fucking break you stinking bastards!"

Blander rolled his eyes, "Bassky get down you moron! McNair, target the Boomers."

"Don't let 'em hit Dita!" Racket added from inside the cockpit. His hands danced over the Grindlifts controls.

A Boomshot round arched over head but the angle was too steep and it missed Dita by a few metres before detonating in mid-air. Erika felt the heat wave press into her shoulders. She knelt up again, Longshot loaded. McNair swept the chain gun towards the Boomers. Gravestones exploded in clouds of dust and stone chips, Locust caught in the stream of bullets were torn apart in spectacular eruptions of blood and guts. Boomers were much bigger than your usual Grub, in terms of facial structure they were almost exactly the same but they were taller, heavier and a hell of a lot tougher. These guys were heavy weapons specialists. There were four of them, trudging heavily towards the Grindlifts. Another fired its weapon, the boomshot thudded loudly and the round arched into the air. It struck the Derrick on Erika's left blowing the cockpit apart, its driver killed instantly. Erika sighted the re-loading monster. She put a Longshot round clean through its skull and watched it topple inelegantly, to the ground. The other three pointed their weapons at her.

"McNair!" she screamed. "Hit em!"

"I'm on it!" he growled.

His barrage of bullets caught the first Boomer in line and ripped open its stomach. Loops of entrails spilled forth and the creature stumbled, growling in pain. The second was caught across the legs. Its knees buckled first then its legs snapped completely. When it slammed into the ground, its Boomshot discharged, caused by a muscle spasms no doubt, wiping out several Grubs taking over beneath a statue. McNair targeted the third Boomer, with a savage grin he unleashed the weapon again and split the creature from groin to neck, before ripping its skull apart like an egg.

For a split second, there was lull in the sound of battle. Caused by what exactly Erika didn't know, it was a single solitary moment of relative quiet, it was something she'd experienced only once before. A pocket of calm where there's no gunfire, no shouting. It lasts a second, no more no less but in that spit of quiet Erika felt her senses sharpen and heard a single voice.

" _Boom!"_ it exclaimed.

Erika's eyes fell upon the first of the Boomers, the one still attempting to push its guts back into its belly. It fired its Boomshot one handed, a triumphant look on its hideous face. Erika's Longshot round punched into the middle of its head a micro second afterwards, killing it outright. But she had been too late. An explosion rang out, so close it tossed her onto the deck, she felt the shock wave slam into her like a hammer blow and set her ears ringing. Hot liquid splashed her face; it doused her cigarette and filled her mouth.

"McNair!" somebody shouted, but the voice was muffled by the ringing bells in her skull.

Erika struggled into a kneeling position, she held her hands to her ears and shook her head. Her hearing cleared and the sound of battle returned with a clash, momentarily disorientating her.

Erika finally looked up, her heart hammering in her chest. McNair was gone, there was nothing left of him, save a few rags of flesh. He'd been hit dead on by the boomshot and blown apart. Bits of him were spread across the rig but nothing recognisable as having been human. Erika could taste blood in her mouth, it wasn't her own this time. As she leaned forward, pieces of charred meat rolled off her shoulders and plopped wetly on the floor. Erika puked hard, her guts heaving so bad it hurt. She'd seen everything in her time as a Gear but getting covered in what only moments before had been your friend was enough to turn anyone's stomach.

"Oh shit!" Bassky sank to his knees. "Oh shit, McNair."

Erika retched another cascade of watery bile and fell on her backside, breathing heavy. Bullets still smacked against the rig but none of Able seemed to notice.

In the cockpit of the rig, though the glass was shattered and smoke poured from within, Erika saw Racket clambering to his feet. He spat out of the window and glared down at the rigs readouts.

"Dita's ready to go people. You might wanna start mounting those lifts!" He shouted out of the broken windscreen. Evidently his earpiece was damaged.

"Alright." Blander had tears in eyes, but Erika didn't know if it was the smoke or the death of McNair. "Archer with me, Bassky and Penny in the second lift. Erika, Draper follow us down!"

As the four men began mounting the Grindlifts a high-pitched scream split the air. From within the Locusts lines a column of dirt was hurled upwards. A second later a dark shadow leapt skywards, landing a few meters away from the E-Hole. Erika sighted the creature in her scope, her eyes grew wide in shock.

"What the fuck is that?" Draper exclaimed, appearing at her side.

Behind them the Grindlifts doors had closed and they were preparing to launch. Erika glanced over her shoulder briefly as the first one rocketed off the rig and slammed into the ground before disappearing beneath the surface, leaving only a swirling cloud of churned dirt in its wake. She re-sighted the new Locust. He appeared slimmer than a normal Grub and taller, where Grubs wore boots, his feet were bare and ended in three clawed toes. From his helmet streamers fell down his back giving the impression of dreadlocks and from his viciously fanged mouth a forked tongue flickered like an oily black snake. He unleashed another savage screech and leapt atop a Centaur, turning his duel chainsaw staff weapon over his head. He brought it down against the Tanks armour, Erika could hear the screech of metal even from here. With moments the Locust had leapt clear of the Tank having cut it clean in half.

Draper gasped. "Holy shit!"

Erika sighted the creature as he clambered on top of one of the Derricks. "I'll blow his fuckin' brains out!" she snarled.

"You two might wanna get moving!" Racket yelled, "There's more of those fuckers coming and the Lifts ready to go!"

"Just a damn second!" but before she could get off a clean shot a Gear stepped in against the new Locust. He blocked her aim. "Fuck!" It was Tai Kalisso, another South Islander.

Draper tugged her arm, "Come on there's nothing you can do!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Erika followed Draper and clambered into the Lift.

A light blinked on above them bathing the interior of the rig in blood red. Erika fastened the harness over her shoulders and Draper did the same.

"Ever done anything like this before?" He asked nervously.

Erika shook her head, "Never kiddo."

"Oh! Well fuck." He muttered.

The lift began to vibrate as the engine powered up. Erika gripped her harness and gritted her teeth. As the shaking became more and more violent, Erika felt like her bones were going to shatter. Then with a stomaching churning lurch the rig deployed. This was finally it, they were heading for the hollow.


End file.
